后生动物线粒体基因组:起源、大小和基因排列进化

由于受到强烈的进化约束,后生动物线粒体基因组在大小和基因含量上一直保持稳定,相比之下核基因组则发生了巨大的改变。后生动物线粒体基因组结构的可塑性在一定程度上归功于可能由tRNA基因介导的基因重排事件,虽然亲缘关系密切的物种间也可能出现基因重排,但同门内的线粒体基因组仍趋向于具有类似的结构特征。我们对后生动物线粒体基因组的起源、大小和基因排列进化方面的特点进行了介绍。

Mitochondrial Genome Evolution in Metazoa:Origin,Size and Gene Arrangement

Because of the intensively evolutionary constraint,size and gene content of metazoan mitochondrial（mt）-genome have remained stable for millions of years.But at the same time,several changes have taken place in nuclear genome.The plasticity of mt-genome is maintained through a great variety of gene rearrangements probably mediated by tRNA genes.The trend of mtDNA to maintain the same genetic structure within a phylum is generally accepted,although more recent reports show that a considerable number of transpositions are observed also between closely related organisms.In this article,the origin,size and gene arrangement evolution of the mt-genome in Metazoa were reviewed.